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lithosphere
[lith-uh-sfeer]
noun
the solid portion of the earth (atmosphere,hydrosphere ).
the crust and upper mantle of the earth.
lithosphere
/ ˈɪθəˌɪə /
noun
the rigid outer layer of the earth, having an average thickness of about 75 km and comprising the earth's crust and the solid part of the mantle above the asthenosphere
lithosphere
The outer part of the Earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle. It is about 55 km (34 mi) thick beneath the oceans and up to about 200 km (124 mi) thick beneath the continents. The high velocity with which seismic waves propagate through the lithosphere suggests that it is completely solid.
Compare asthenosphere atmosphere hydrosphere
Other 51Թ Forms
- lithospheric adjective
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of lithosphere1
Example Sentences
Fault lines are the visible boundaries on the planet's surface where the rigid plates that make up the Earth's lithosphere brush against each another.
Our planet's lithosphere is broken into several tectonic plates.
Based on numerical modeling, their results suggest that this water has been confined within the lithosphere for an extensive period of 1.5-5 million years.
"We experimentally determined the seismic wave attenuation characteristics, parameters for ascertaining the softness of the lithosphere and asthenosphere, under high temperature and pressure using our short-period oscillation generation technology," explains Prof. Yoshino.
The Earth's outermost layer, the lithosphere, is made up of plates of rock that are cracked like puzzle pieces.
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When To Use
The lithosphere is the outermost layer of the Earth’s surface. It is rugged, dense, and mostly made out of solid rock.Generally speaking, Earth is made of a really hot core and layers of rock that get colder the farther you move from the center. The lithosphere is the farthest layer from the core and so is the coldest, made of mostly solid rock.The lithosphere consists of the crust, the actual surface of Earth that we walk on, and the upper part of the mantle, the rocky majority of the inner Earth between the core and the crust. The lithosphere averages about 75 km in thickness, depending on age.The lithosphere sits on top of the weaker, denser asthenosphere and slowly floats on top of it. The lithosphere is broken into solid chunks, known as plates, that drift on top of the asthenosphere and move a few inches every year. Sometimes, the plates of the lithosphere collide, break, or rub into each other, which is known as plate tectonics. Plate tectonics is responsible for earthquakes, volcanoes, and a variety of other geologic events.
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